Safety device to protect carrier entrances



C. H. LANGS July 9, 1929,

SAFETY DEVICE TO PROTECT CARRIER ENTRANCES Filed Feb. 28, 1924 trolled vehicle or-carrier Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STA amen PATENT OEFFI' ce.

CHARLES LANGS, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

SAFETY DEVICE T0 'rn'o'r'sor CARRIER. ENTRANCES.

Application filedFebruary as, 1924;" Serial no. 695,692.

The object of the presentinvention is to providea practicable and reliable meansto prevent the starting or running of anfelevator, car or other carrier while thdentrance thereto is unguarded.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is-shown in the annexeddrawings, by

reference to which the invention will be readily understood.

The construction selected for illustration is described in connection with an electric elevator, typilying any electricallyconto which the in vention may beapplied.

In said drawingst Fig. 1 isa View looking from theinterior of an' eleva-tor cage of an installation of means embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged'sectional view of a circuit closing device appearing at the left nearly closed position. A jamb against which the door closes isre'presented by a rubber buffer 4; carried by an abutment bracket 5 on the vertical frame memberQ.

The door is shown provided with a spring-actuated latch 6 adapted when the door is closed to engage a catch 7 bracketed to theupper crossjmember Said latch" maybe connected by therod 8 to any" appropriatc door-operating leveror handle (not shown) by means of which the elevator operator releases the'latch as he shifts the door to open position, i. e.-, toward the right in the specific arrangement selected for illustration;

The 'operationof the elevator is controlled by i an electric circuit sufliciently represented in tliekli'awings by the insulated circuit wires9 and 10; 111 This circuit may be connected with aco'ntroller (not shown) in the'elei atorcage 'or car, by which the operator starts," stops and controls the speed of the car in'the usual manner.

of corrosion as'to impair their efliciency;

Connected in said electric circuit is a door-operated circuit-closer comprising rel? atively movable contact members 12 and 13',

ondconnected by the blIlCllIlglPOSb 14 with a flexible lead or end of the circuit wirelO, and the other connectedby afbinding post wire 11, When the door is closed and latched, these contact members 12 and 13 are 15" with a flexible lead or end of'the'circuit" maintained in contact with each other as shown in Fig; 2; but when the door is opened said contact members are" moved apart or out of contact with each 'other by a spring 16,therebyopening the electriccircult, as'reprcsented'ln Fig. 1. TlllSWlll re-' quire closing the door befordstarting the elevator, thus insuring" against premature starting or running of the elevator while the door remains open;

The contact memberslfl and 13, one of which is linearly movable under the impulse of the door in closing, are formed with broad contact surfaces inclined to the line" o'f'sai'd movement and adapted to slideone against the other Wlth' a transverse-pressure or thrust, on the principle of 'a wedging or inclined plane action, as will bereadily understood from the drawings; As specifically represented, the contact 'member 13,' being the member impelled by the door;

moves under and'liftsthe contact member 12 by sliding engagement therewith, said member l2'be1ng arrangedto bearyleldlngly on the lower member '13.

Contacts of the character indicated insure a positive contact of thecontact members when moved into coacting relationship'jwith 'l substantial areas of contact surfaces, and

maintain such contact during a considerable range '01 relative inovement'oit said members, thereby'all'owing for variations in the closing movementsof the door, or'ot different doors to which'devices embodying the invention may be applied. Moreover they entail a self cleani'ng and polishing of the contact surfaces by theirtrictionalsliding engagement, thus maintaining them :tree of dust or oth er foreign-matter or or such effects It will be understood that the contact bers may be ottany" appropriate conductingmaterial preferably brass.

Theupp'er contact member "12'is represented in the formof a pivotedarni or lever "having an enlargedweighted head which bears on the lowencont'act member. Thus the weight of said head maybe utilized in lieu of springs or the like to maintain the positive pressure of the contact members one against the other during their coaction. This arrangement is both simple and effective. I

An insulated pivot stud for the upper contact member is indicated at 17 Another insulated stud for limiting the downward movement of said upper contact member, before its engagement by the lower contact member 13, is indicated at 18. These may be metallic studs enclosed by insulating bushings or sleeves. The insulating bushing for the pivot stud 17 may advantageously be pressed in the fulcrum sleeve 19 of the upper contact member.

The contact member 13 is carried by a plunger rod 20 which is operated by the door in a direction to move said member into engagement with the member 12, and is impelled in the opposite direction by the spring 16. Said rod 20 is slidably mounted in appropriate bearings 21, preferably of insulating material. The forward. portion of the rod is shown of square or polygonal formation, and slides in a correspondingly formed bore in its bearing, thereby preventing rotation or turning of the rod. A shoulder 22 is provided by the juncture of the round and square portions of the rod. Non-rotatably fitted on this shouldered portion of the rod is an insulating block 23 carrying said contact member 13 which is saddle-shaped to straddle said insulating block, as shown in Fig. 3 and is secured thereto by the screw 15, which screw is utilized as the binding post for connecting the contact member with the circuit wire 11. The spring 16, shown as a coil spring enclosing the plunger rod, and insulated therefrom by an insulating bushing or sleeve 24, bears against the insulating block 23, which by virtue of the shoulder 22 forces the plunger rod toward the door under the impulse of said spring. A screw 2O holds the insulating block 23, rod 20 and insulating sleeve 24; in proper relationship. By this simple construction and arrangement, the parts may be conveniently assembled in operative relationship and the contact member 13 is thoroughly insulated from the operating parts. 7

As represented in the drawings, the plunger rod 20 is horizontally disposed'and projects beyond the door abutment or buffer at directly in line with the door, so that the movement of the contact member 13 into engagement with the coacting member 12 is effected by the direct thrust of the door in its closing movement on the plunger rod, against the compression of the spring 16. By this arrangement, the action of the spring will serve to force back the door if it fails to latch, so that, even though the door safety ordinance designed to protect.human life, namely the requirement of closing and latching the doors guarding the entrances to such carriers before starting the carriers in movement. Thecircuit closer automatically opens the operating circuit for the carrier when the door opens and, with the specific I construction shown, impels the opening of the door from closed position sufiiciently to open the circuit if the door is unlatched. On the other hand, the closing of the circuit when the door closes is independent of the degree of pressure of the door against its abutment, and a positive bearing contact, with substantial area of contact surfaces, is maintained during a considerable range in the closing movement of the door, insuring reliability of operation and yet allowing for variations in practice. In other words, the construction of the circuit closer is such as to require no nicety of adjustment to arrange it in proper operative relation to the door. Moreover the contact members automatically maintain their contact surfaces clean and bright, insuring efiicient operation after prolonged service. The construction of the circuit closing appliance is also of simple and practicable character, and susceptible of economical manufacture.

The elements composing the circuit closing appliance may be mounted and housed in an appropriate box 25, which may be supported by attachment to a suitable fixture to maintain the plunger rod 20 in proper relation to the door. In this instance said box is shown attached to the abutment bracket 5. Conduits 26 for the electric circuit wires are shown entering the top and bottom of the box and secured thereto by nuts 27. The

bearings 21 for the plunger rod 20 are shown as flanged sleeves projected through openings in the side walls of the box and secured thereto by nuts 28.

For economy of manufacture the box 25 may be constructed as a metal casting or stamped from sheet metal. It is shown having a hinged lid 29, the lid being represented as raised in Fig. 1 and as closed in Fig. 3. The lid may if desired be fastened by appropriate fastening means engaging holes in the lower extremity of the lid and a flange 30 projecting .from the bottom of the box.

In the illustrative construction, the parts I composing the circuit-closing appliance are arranged and operate 111 the same vertical til plane, which among other advantages permits them to be housed in a very shallow or narrow box.

Obviously the present invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown in the drawings, since the details of construction, arrangement and operation may be variously modified to suit various requirements and conditions. Moreover it is not indispensable that all of the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be advantageously used in various different combinations and sub-combinations.

Having thus described an illustrative embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, relatively movable contact members adapted for connection in an electric circuit for controlling the operation of a carrier; said members having contact surfaces inclined to the direction of their relative movement and adapted for coaction by sliding engagement of said surfaces; one

said members adapted to bear yieldingly against the other during such engagement; a stop for limiting the movement of said last named member prior to such engagement; resilient means for moving said members out of contact; and door-operable means for moving said members into sliding contact.

2. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a linearly movable contact member having an inclined contact surface; a coacting weighted contact member having a correspondingly inclined contact surface and adapted to bear by gravity upon said first named member and thereby maintain an equal pressure of contact therewith during sliding engagement of said contact surfaces; a door-operable means for moving said. linearly movable member into sliding contact with said weighted member; and means opposing said movement and adapted to maintain said members out of contact when said door-operable means is released.

3. A device of the class described compris ing, in combination, a spring-impelled rod adapted to be forced in opposition to its spring by the closing of a door; bearings in which said rod is slidably fitted; said rod having cylindrical and polygonal portions fitted in the respective bearings, and a shoulder at the juncture of said portions; an insulating block fitted on the shouldered portion of said rod; a rodimpelling spring bearing against said block; a contact member carried bv said block; and a coacting contact member; said members having contact surfaces inclined to the line of movement of said rod.

4. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a spring-impelled slidablc rod adapted to be forced in opposition to its spring by the closing of a door; a contact member carried by said rod having an inclined contact surface; and a coacting contact member comprising a pivoted arm having an enlarged head provided with a cor respondingly inclined contact surface and adapted to bear by gravity upon said first named member and thereby maintain an equal pressure of contact therewith during sliding engagement of said contact surfaces.

5. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a slidable rod adapted to be actuated by the closing of a door; insulating bearings in which said rod is slidably mounted; an insulating block secured on said rod; a coil spring enclosing said rod and interposed between one of said bearings and said insulating block to oppose the actuation of the red by the door; an insulating bushing fitted on said rod within said spring; a contact member carried by said insulating block; and a coacting contact member yieldingly bearing on the first mentioned member; said contact members having contact surfaces inclined to the line of movement of said rod.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES H. LANGS. 

